Liang Hong, whose courtesy name was Boluan, was a native of Pingling in Fufeng Commandery. Living through a time of chaos, he studied at the Imperial Academy. He read extensively and mastered everything, yet he refused to be confined to the pedantic memorization of classical texts. After completing his studies, he worked as a swineherd in the Shanglin Garden (Imperial Park).
Once, he accidentally started a fire that spread to neighboring houses. Liang Hong sought out the affected households, asked about their losses, and offered all his pigs as compensation. When the owner still felt it was insufficient, Liang Hong offered his own labor to work off the debt, toiling tirelessly. Seeing that Liang Hong was no ordinary man, the elderly neighbors collectively reprimanded the owner and praised Liang Hong as a virtuous elder. The owner then showed respect, returned all the pigs, but Liang Hong refused to accept them and returned to his hometown.
Admiring his noble character, many local families wished to marry their daughters to him, but Liang Hong rejected them all. In the same county, the Meng family had a daughter who was considered ugly and had refused all marriage proposals. When her parents asked why, she replied, “I wish to marry a man as virtuous as Liang Boluan.” Hearing this, Liang Hong betrothed her. Upon entering his home, she was initially adorned in fine clothing, but for seven days, Liang Hong ignored her. His wife then knelt to ask for his reasons. Liang Hong said, “I desire a wife who would wear coarse garments and live in seclusion with me in the deep mountains. You are now dressed in silk and wearing makeup; is this truly what I wish?” She replied, “I was merely testing your aspirations. I do have garments for seclusion.” She then styled her hair in a simple bun, donned rough cloth, and approached him holding weaving tools. Delighted, Liang Hong exclaimed, “This is truly the wife of Liang Hong! You can fulfill my wishes!” He gave her the courtesy name Deyao Mengguang.
Soon after, they withdrew together to the mountains of Baling, making a living through farming and weaving, and entertaining themselves by reciting poetry, reading classics, and playing the qin (ancient music instrument). Admiring the noble scholars of the past, he composed eulogies for twenty-four eminent recluses, starting from the Four Elders of Mount Shang. Later, traveling east through the Hangu Pass and passing the capital, he composed the famous “Song of Five Sighs.”
When Emperor Suzong sought him out, he could not be found. Liang Hong then changed his surname to Yunqi, his given name to Yao, and his courtesy name to Houguang, residing with his wife in the region of Qi and Lu. Shortly after, he moved to Wu, living under the eaves of Gao Botong and working as a hired rice pounder. Every time he returned home, his wife would prepare his meal and raise the serving tray to the level of her eyebrows in profound respect. Observing this, Gao Botong realized they were extraordinary and invited them to live inside his estate. Liang Hong secluded himself to write over ten essays. Falling gravely ill, he told his host on his deathbed, “In the past, Jizha of Yanling was buried between Ying and Bo, without returning to his hometown. Do not let my son carry my remains back home.” After he passed away, Gao Botong and others arranged for his burial beside the tomb of Yao Li in Wu.
Note
Eastern Han scholar Liang Hong rejected officialdom. He wed virtuous Meng Guang, who respected him by holding food trays level with her brows. They lived simply in seclusion; Liang wrote the satirical Song of Five Sighs and passed away far from his hometown.
Liang Hong and Meng Guang (梁鸿与孟光):
The quintessential couple in Chinese culture representing marital harmony based on shared moral values rather than physical beauty or wealth. Their story is the origin of the idiom “raising the tray to the eyebrows” (举案齐眉), which remains the ultimate cultural symbol of mutual spousal respect.
Refusing Pedantry (不为章句):
During the Han dynasty, orthodox Confucian education often focused obsessively on the minute textual exegesis (zhangju) of classics. Liang Hong’s rejection of this reflects a broader intellectual trend among independent scholars who sought the broader philosophical meaning rather than using classics merely as a stepping stone to political office.
The Song of Five Sighs:
A famous poem written by Liang Hong after passing the Han capital. The five “sighs” expressed deep sorrow over the lavishness of imperial palaces and the resulting exhaustion of the common people. This poem highlights the recluse’s role as a moral critic of imperial excess.
The Four Elders of Mount Shang:
Four elderly, highly respected scholars who famously hid in the mountains during the early Han dynasty to avoid serving Emperor Gaozu. They became the ultimate archetype for noble recluses who prioritized their moral integrity over imperial recruitment.
Jizha of Yanling:
Jizha was a legendary prince of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period, renowned for his supreme virtue and refusal of the throne. His choice to be buried far from his homeland symbolized ultimate detachment from worldly attachments and ancestral land, which Liang Hong emulated in his final wishes.
梁鸿字伯鸾，扶风平陵人也。遭乱世，受业太学，博览无不通，而不为章句。学毕，乃牧豕上林苑中。曾误遗火，延及他舍。鸿乃寻访烧者，问其所去失，悉以豕偿之。其主犹为少，鸿又以身居作，执勤不懈。邻家耆老见鸿非恒人，乃共责让主人，而称鸿长者，於是始敬异焉，悉还其豕。鸿不受而去，归乡里，执家慕其高节，多欲女之，鸿并绝不娶。同县孟氏有女，状丑，择对不嫁。父母问其故。女曰：“欲得贤如梁伯鸾者。”鸿闻而聘之，及嫁，始以装饰，入门七曰，而鸿不答。妻乃下请，鸿曰：“吾欲裘褐之人可与俱隐深山者，尔今乃衣绮缟，傅粉墨，岂鸿所愿哉！”妻曰：“以观夫子之志耳。妾自有隐居之服，乃更为椎髻，著布衣，操作而前。”鸿大喜曰：“此真梁鸿妻也，能奉我矣！”字之曰德曜孟光。居有顷，乃共入霸陵山中，以耕织为业，咏诗书弹琴以自娱。仰慕前世高士，而为四皓以来二十四人作颂。因东出关，过京师，作《五噫之歌》。肃宗求鸿不得。乃易姓运期，名耀，字侯光，与妻子居齐鲁之间。有顷，又去，适吴，居皋伯通庑下，为人赁春。每归，妻为具食，举案齐眉。伯通察而异之，乃方舍之於家。鸿潜闭著书十馀篇，疾，且告主人曰：“昔延陵季子葬於嬴博之间，不归乡里。慎勿令我子持丧归去。”及卒，伯通等为求葬地於吴要离冢旁。
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